Habs announce a surprising healthy scratch ahead of season opener against the Leafs
Ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, the Montreal Canadians are finalizing their roster for game one. A notable surprise comes with left winger Jonathan Drouin being left off the list. Drouin will likely be held off the opening night roster as a healthy scratch.
Coming to Montreal in a trade that sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017, the Drouin hype in Montreal was immense. While playing in Tampa Bay, Drouin was never able to find his footing in the NHL or within the Lightning organization. When Drouin arrived in Montreal, he tallied 99 points in his first two seasons in the bleu, blanc et rouge over the stretch of 158 games. With the opportunity to play every night, Drouin's level of consistency was highlighted on the scoresheet.
After posting respectable numbers in his first two seasons, Drouin had proved he could be a 40-50 point scorer in the NHL. Although it seemed Drouin was on the path to success, his downfall within the fanbase and Canadians organization began to plummet in the 2019 season. Along the timeline of the last three seasons, Drouin has only played in 105 games. Drouin has struggled to stay healthy, which has restricted him from continued success in the NHL. In the 2019-20 season, he missed time in an already shortened season due to COVID-19, playing in just 27 games with a left wrist injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season. In the following season, Drouin played 44 games before taking a leave from the Canadians, which sat him out for the remainder of the season to deal with anxiety and insomnia. Then up to date, last season saw Drouin out indefinitely after suffering a right wrist injury in January of 2022, where he only played 34 games the entire season.
As it looks like Drouin will be held out tonight against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, it's important to consider what options the Montreal Canadians have. Drouin carries a $5,500,000 cap hit for the 2022-23 season. At the end of the season, Drouin will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA). At this point, there is no point in a buyout as he is on an expiring contract. Drouin likely will see the ice at some point in the Canadians season, as they should be looking to play him to raise his value for a potential deal at the trade deadline. Aside from throwing him into games throughout the season, the Canadians have the option of waivers, continuing to healthy scratch him, or assigning him to the AHL.
Drouin's had a tough time staying in the lineup over the past three seasons. His mental and physical health issues have made it difficult for Drouin to be effective and productive in the Montreal lineup. As we approach opening night puck drop, Drouin isn't set with any of the four forward lines or special teams. Coming back healthy, it should be interesting to see how Drouin is utilized in the Montreal lineup this year and if he is capable of a comeback season.
Credit: hockeydb.com , capfriendly.com
| POLL | ||
12 OCTOBRE | 177 ANSWERS Habs announce a surprising healthy scratch ahead of season opener against the Leafs Is Drouin's time coming to an end in Montreal? | ||
| Yes | 151 | 85.3 % |
| No | 26 | 14.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
